BOOK REVIEW IF I DID IT: CONFESSION OF THE KILLER
Pamela Scott Shelton
September 24, 2007
The most controversial book of the year, the Goldman Family’s If I Did It: Confessions of The Killer, goes a long way to satisfying the reader's need to get into the mind of a person who loses the capacity to stop his or her self crossing the border of civilized human interaction by taking the life of another person. This book is about the infamous murderer who beat the system, O.J. Simpson. We can say that now, because the book is a confession for the double murder comitted by Simpson, which he can no longer be held legally accountable for.
Regardless of what O.J. Simpson asserted in the aftermath of the public outcry over Harper Collins’ attempt to publish this book, and especially in light of more recent events in Las Vegas involving Simpson; the reader will hear, loud and clear, the voice of Orenthal James Simpson in this book. The ghostwriter, Pablo F. Fenjves, writes a prologue, refuting Simpson’s claims that Fenjves, as the ghostwriter, invented most of the telling of his own accord. Supporting Fenjves, and proving Simpson to be less than forthright and honest, a read of the book quickly helps the reader identify the “voice” of O.J. Simpson. A ghostwriter could not get inside the head of another person this way, not in this detail, and speak in that person’s voice in the way that Simpson’s voice is heard in this book. Still, Fenjves' prologue is interesting and revealing.
For those of us who look to understand how one human being crosses that invisible line of morality, spirituality, and sociality to take the life of another, there will be little satisfaction, because it is clear that Simpson is, himself, still trying to figure that out. If the murderer cannot explain it, perhaps there is no explanation for it. The reader follows Simpson, who is thorough in searching his memory of events, sorting through his guilt and emotions, examining the details of what happened in search of that answer. This is a confession of a killer, but a killer who has spent a lot of time looking deep into his self to understand how it happened. Why Simpson has spent so much time looking for answers will be subject to the individual reader’s take on what they read; is the murderer mourning life lost, or mourning the loss of a glamorous career and lifestyle?
The only part of this book that stands out as sadly unnecessary is the apology from the Goldman Family to people who might be offended by publication of it. The family, having survived a heinous crime committed against them as a family having suffered the loss of a son, a brother, a friend; felt compelled to make an apology, and to explain themselves. No apology is necessary, as the book holds the confession of the man who murdered their loved one. If O.J. Simpson had succeeded in publishing this book and laundering the profits from it in a way that might have made it impossible for the Goldman’s to collect on the civil judgment awarded them; that would have been exploiting blood money. When the Goldman’s see it through to publication and the profits realized offset the costs of relentlessly pursuing a murderer, and benefit a charitable organization in the name of a victim, which serves as an advocate on behalf of crime victims; that is justice.
Even in finally realizing justice, the Goldman’s nonetheless express a concern for the emotional well being Nicole Brown’s children. They wrestled with their concern in deciding to publish the book. Unfortunately, the Goldman family cannot relieve these children of the burdens they have borne and will continue to bear because of the circumstances surrounding their loss.
This book should be bought with clean conscience, knowing that the profits will benefit The Ron Goldman Foundation for Justice. It should be purchased knowing that where the justice system so obviously failed the victims and their surviving family members, there is justice in preventing a murderer, who has finally confessed to murder, from profiting from the lives he took.
This book provides closure for the public that followed the case of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
Regardless of what O.J. Simpson asserted in the aftermath of the public outcry over Harper Collins’ attempt to publish this book, and especially in light of more recent events in Las Vegas involving Simpson; the reader will hear, loud and clear, the voice of Orenthal James Simpson in this book. The ghostwriter, Pablo F. Fenjves, writes a prologue, refuting Simpson’s claims that Fenjves, as the ghostwriter, invented most of the telling of his own accord. Supporting Fenjves, and proving Simpson to be less than forthright and honest, a read of the book quickly helps the reader identify the “voice” of O.J. Simpson. A ghostwriter could not get inside the head of another person this way, not in this detail, and speak in that person’s voice in the way that Simpson’s voice is heard in this book. Still, Fenjves' prologue is interesting and revealing.
For those of us who look to understand how one human being crosses that invisible line of morality, spirituality, and sociality to take the life of another, there will be little satisfaction, because it is clear that Simpson is, himself, still trying to figure that out. If the murderer cannot explain it, perhaps there is no explanation for it. The reader follows Simpson, who is thorough in searching his memory of events, sorting through his guilt and emotions, examining the details of what happened in search of that answer. This is a confession of a killer, but a killer who has spent a lot of time looking deep into his self to understand how it happened. Why Simpson has spent so much time looking for answers will be subject to the individual reader’s take on what they read; is the murderer mourning life lost, or mourning the loss of a glamorous career and lifestyle?
The only part of this book that stands out as sadly unnecessary is the apology from the Goldman Family to people who might be offended by publication of it. The family, having survived a heinous crime committed against them as a family having suffered the loss of a son, a brother, a friend; felt compelled to make an apology, and to explain themselves. No apology is necessary, as the book holds the confession of the man who murdered their loved one. If O.J. Simpson had succeeded in publishing this book and laundering the profits from it in a way that might have made it impossible for the Goldman’s to collect on the civil judgment awarded them; that would have been exploiting blood money. When the Goldman’s see it through to publication and the profits realized offset the costs of relentlessly pursuing a murderer, and benefit a charitable organization in the name of a victim, which serves as an advocate on behalf of crime victims; that is justice.
Even in finally realizing justice, the Goldman’s nonetheless express a concern for the emotional well being Nicole Brown’s children. They wrestled with their concern in deciding to publish the book. Unfortunately, the Goldman family cannot relieve these children of the burdens they have borne and will continue to bear because of the circumstances surrounding their loss.
This book should be bought with clean conscience, knowing that the profits will benefit The Ron Goldman Foundation for Justice. It should be purchased knowing that where the justice system so obviously failed the victims and their surviving family members, there is justice in preventing a murderer, who has finally confessed to murder, from profiting from the lives he took.
This book provides closure for the public that followed the case of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
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